


Pride & Prejudice

by Ellemae



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-15
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-21 06:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2458121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellemae/pseuds/Ellemae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Regina scoffs, Emma reads, Henry gets into trouble, Snow meddles, and they gradually realize that the plot of "Pride and Prejudice" isn't just relegated to a novel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which Regina has plenty of pride and prejudice, and Emma sets out to prove...something

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man of good fortune must be in want of a wife--"

Emma flung the book across the room and it landed against the wall with a satisfying thud.

She rolled her eyes at her own behavior before flinging back the covers and getting out of bed.

She shivered as she walked across the floor toward the book, frowning down at it before releasing a noisy sigh.

It's not like she had a choice.

She had a point to prove.

It didn't matter how stupid this book was, in order to prove her own intelligence she had to soldier through it.

ONE WEEK EARLIER

Things had calmed considerably since the curse had broken.

It hadn't all been unicorns and daisies, not at first--and come to think of it Emma had yet to see a unicorn. Not that she'd be surprised.

Regardless, things were better.

The peace had helped. Regina had not sought revenge on anyone, but instead remained inside her house baking copious amounts of perfect chocolate chip cookies in the hope they would lure Henry home.

So if anything she was turning into another witch entirely, not the Evil Queen of yore.

Their lives had been a disaster for a while. But now with Pan defeated and Henry home and safe it all seemed rather...ordinary.

If ordinary was being a thirty-year-old who lived with her parents who remarkably looked her same age.

Said parents had decided, for some reason unknown to Emma, that it was time to throw a ball.

"Emma, darling, come downstairs," Snow yelled from below. "It's time for your dress fitting."

As Emma ambled down the stairs she overheard Snow's whisper to the dressmaker, "she certainly needs a new dress to find a husband."

Okay, the reason for the ball was apparent. That didn't mean Emma had to like it.

"Really, a dress?" Emma wrinkled her nose as she stood before the seamstress, a little old lady she was fairly certain she'd never seen before in her life.

"Yes milady," curtsied the dressmaker. Who must have been at least seventy years old.

"Margaret has been the palace dressmaker for generations." Snow stated, following Margaret's lead and ignoring her daughter's petulance.

"Woah! So does that mean you made Regina's dresses too?"

The woman looked hesitantly at Snow, as though unsure of what reply would be best.

"Yes." She eventually admitted.

Emma wanted to ask more but decided that now was not the time, the old woman was coming at her with a handful of pins and she didn't need one of those to end up in the wrong place.

"Woah Mom," Henry said as he barreled through their front door, skidding to a stop right in front of Emma. "That's a cool dress."

Emma scoffed, then shrugged. "Thanks Henry, I guess."

"You'll totally find an awesome boyfriend with that dress."

"Ew."

"What? Snow said this was a True Love Ball, so you're gonna find your true love."


	2. Chapter 2

Across town Regina smoothed her already pristine apron, making sure the ruffles aligned just so, before bending down to remove the cookies from the oven.

Swallowing back a sigh, she gently maneuvered the perfect circles onto a cooling rack, where they joined 24 of their brothers and sisters.

Considering the fact that Regina did not eat cookies she may have over baked. Just a little.

Still, she supposed she was allowed some weaknesses.

Since returning from Neverland, an adventure which she had been sure would be the end of her troubles, she had instead found that it was just the beginning.

She had brought Henry home as promised, but to her great chagrin it had not been her home. Their home.

Instead her little boy was happy as a clam with Snow and David and Emma, while Regina paced inside her cold home doing little while she waited for the doorbell to ring. Or, better yet, for Henry to remember that this was his real home and come bursting through the front door unannounced.

As Regina stared at the 36 cookies that would not be eaten, before her eyes flitted toward the additional 12 already in the trash, she berated herself.

She was pathetic. But no longer.

And with that Regina ripped off her apron and tossed it in a ball on the kitchen floor.

Nothing was perfect anyway she decided with a scoff and she abandoned the miserable cookies with the bang of her kitchen door as she stalked out of her cold empty house.

~~

"But ughh," Emma expressed her displeasure as best she could as the stiff and shiny purple ball gown was affixed to her frame.

"Hush Emma," Snow admonished. "You are our daughter and this is a dress befitting your station."

"Really?" Emma scoffed, raising an irritated eyebrow. "My station?"

"Yeah Mom," crowed Henry from the kitchen stool where he'd planted himself with a tall glass of sofa.

Emma wrinkled her nose at that. She was pretty sure Regina'd never let him drink that much soda, or any soda, didn't that stuff rot your teeth? Plus sugar, and caffeine, and--Emma shuddered, mainly because she was envisioning Regina's reaction.

"Fine," Emma said, none too gently, "but I've gotta go patrol now so can we please please do this later."

Snow narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But be back by 7 for family dinner."

~~

The only problem with storming out of ones house was that it was helpful to have somewhere else to go. Regina did not exactly have anywhere.

She was no longer Mayor so she couldn't even go into work and do boring paperwork.

Then she caught sight of the library.

Well, Belle hated her, but so did everyone else in town. And she did enjoy reading.

~~

Emma angrily kicked a pebble and frowned down at her now further scuffed boots.

Wasn't this proof enough that she wasn't a princess?

She was so tired of all the expectations. She'd lived with them her whole life, and in every new foster home she'd tried to live up to the new ones only to crash and burn (sometimes literally).

She'd foolishly thought that a real family wouldn't enforce unrealistic expectations. People didn't do that to other people that they really loved. Except, apparently, they did. Unless of course her parents didn't really love her in which case--Emma forced herself to stop thinking about it. She so didn't want to go down that road.

Speaking of roads, she looked up for the first time and discovered that she had stomped over to the library.

Well, that was as good a place as any.

And no one in her family would expect to find her there.

~~

The King allowed Regina few pleasures in life.

Besides the pleasure of sharing his marital bed, which wasn't pleasure at all and was instead a thought best left alone.

One of the few true pleasures she had during her tenure as Queen could be found in the dusty tombs of the palace library.

Few peasants in the realm could possibly imagine the wealth of knowledge and power and joy that could be found in the palace library.

In all honesty even the number of volumes would be shocking to almost all.

Regina relished it. The empty room, the dusty scent which brought to mind one of her few pleasant childhood memories. Of sitting at her father's feet as he pored over old manuscripts.

As Queen she would ease her aching body into a chair in the corner of the room, ignoring the throbbing of her wrists as she traced fingers down faded words and escaped as best she could.

~~

Emma shoved the library door open and walked somewhat hesitantly into the library.

Even as a child she'd felt they were not the place for her.

Too quiet, too calm, too studious.

Still, for once the silence was welcome.

She slipped past the front desk, managing to escape Belle's eye, since the small brunette was focused intently on the book she was reading.

Emma was used to successfully sneaking into places where she wasn't allowed.

Although, of course, she was allowed in here.

Wasn't she?

She spent a few minutes ambling through the shelves before almost stumbling on something.

Scratch that. Someone.

"Miss Swan," hissed Regina, managing to maintain a quiet voice as befitted a library regardless of her irritation.

"Shit Regina!" Emma failed to do the same.

"What are you doing here?" Regina continued in a loud whisper.

"What?" Emma blushed. "I'm allowed to be here!"

Regina raised a curious eyebrow and softened her voice as she caught sight of the deep red of Emma's cheeks. Neverland had apparently softened her too. "I know dear. I meant, I've never seen you here, except for that time you slayed a dragon."

"Oh right." If possible Emma's blush deepened.

Despite the fact that Regina had given no such invitation, Emma plopped herself down on the floor in beside of her.

"What'cha reading?"

Regina swallowed a sigh. "Austen."

"Huh?"

Regina wanted to mock the girl, she truly did. But there was something about the way her shoulders were scrunched and her brow furrowed that made Regina stop.

Soft.

"Pride and Prejudice," Regina showed Emma the cover. "I don't suppose you're ever read it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina could tell by her tone of voice that she'd instantly taken offense.

"Nothing dear, just that I can't imagine you reading this book."

"Well--I can!"

"Excellent comeback."

"I mean it!" Emma sounded both irritated and hurt despite the fact that Regina had meant nothing by her comment.


End file.
